Speakers Speak

Nothing better for this non-skier to do this sunny and frigid Saturday than to hit the Vermont Statehouse to catch the House Democratic Caucus in action!

Ah! How we've missed the Legislature, Vermont's House of Commons, eh?

It was the annual pre-session preview for the majority party that "controls" the 150-member House. Plus the legislative "pages" and their parents were there for their introduction to some interesting times ahead come January. 

Here's current House Speaker Gaye Symington {2005-present] of Jericho having a wee up-close and personal little chat with former House Speaker Michael Obuchowski [1995-2001] of Bellows Falls in Room 11 under Montpeculiar's beautiful Golden Dome.

More on the behind-the-scenes and between-the-lines later.

The show started at 10 am and wrapped up around 3:30 pm. Nancy Remsen was there for The Burlington Free Press and Louis Porter for the Rutland Herald/Barre-Montpelier Times Argus.

Ch. 3's Andy Potter, my old radio-news sidekick from the days of President Ronald Reagan, popped in for a quickie. He did a stand-up with Speaker Symington.

His went a lot smoother than mine...

Pinch me. It was the Democrat Caucus, not the Republican, right?

Comments

[montpelier28]

I want Obie back as Speaker

[linguini]

Right on!! Obie was much better than Symington who cant even begin to control her caucus which has a huge majority!!
No one will show the leadership of Ralph Wright though, he knew how to count and he also was not above punishing those who didnt line up behind him..Gaye Symington is a puff ball and should be replaced as speaker after the next session if she wins reelection (which i hope she doesnt)
We need a speaker with a backbone because Jimmy D will be govenor forever if he wants to be!!!

[JPC]

I love Gaye's determination to not address issues important too VTer's. One of her priorities: expanding health care to all VTer's. Excuse me but didn't the state just do this, how much further can you expand it? Give me a break. Gaye will ignore our infrastructure, ignore education spending, and ignore the tax burden on an aging population so the house can debate expanding health care and focus in VT's energy future. Vt's energy future, while important needs to take a back seat until we know whether or no VY will be relicensed. Like it or not we need to know whether a source of a third of our power is going to be there or not, before we start planning our future. But, nuclear power allows Gaye to conduct weeks of testimony and accomplish nothing. I hope the people of Jericho realize just what they have given this state.